Apparatus for separating selected particulate materials from a mixture of solids and liquids

Abstract

A chemical reagent is mixed with the mixture to form a resultant reaction mixture under substantially nonoxidizing or oxygen-free conditions. A continuous movement of the resultant reaction mixture is established through a flotation zone while maintaining substantially quiescent flow conditions during the continuous movement thereof. A first outlet is used to discharge a free or unimpeded flow of material collected at the upper surface of the liquid carrier medium within the flotation zone. A second outlet is used to discharge an impeded flow maintained at a lower flow rate than the free flow from said first discharging outlet. The chemical reagent is composed of a liquid hydrocarbon, a reducing material and an activator material. A trough shaped vessel has a discharge end with an upper outlet means and a lower outlet means. The vessel has a structural configuration effective to provide the continuous, substantially quiescent movement of the mixture through the vessel. Mineral value fines subject to having an oxygen-controlled surface condition constitute the selected particulate material being extracted from the mixture of liquids and solids. These selected materials include bituminous coal fines, anthracite coal fines, molybdenum sulfide values, sulfur and graphite.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of the invention, what is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for separating selected particulate material from a mixture of liquids and solids, said apparatus comprising: (a) a trough shaped vessel having a mixture introducing end and a discharge end,   (b) said discharge end having an upper outlet means and a separate downwardly sloping lower outlet means spaced from and ahead of the upper outlet means in the direction of flow of liquid therein,   (c) said upper and lower outlet means having proportions such that they discharge an amount of material from said vessel at a rate sufficient to establish continuous movement of the mixture from said mixture introducing end to said discharge end of said vessel,   (d) said vessel having portions such that they establish substantially quiescent flow conditions intermediate the introducing end and discharge end during said continuous movement,   (e) said vessel having additional proportions such as to maintain said continuously moving mixture within said vessel for a period of time sufficient to allow a selected particulate material to collect at the upper surface of the mixture,   (f) said upper outlet means having additional proportions such as to provide a discharge flow of liquid material out of said vessel to cause a free flow of said selected particulate material at the upper surface of the liquid in said mixture, and   (g) said lower outlet means having additional proportions such as to provide an impeded discharge flow of effluent material out of said vessel, whereby the combined amounts of material leaving the upper and lower outlet means is substantially equal to the amount entering the introductory end.   
     
     
       2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein a flow barrier portion extends between the upper outlet means and the lower outlet means.   
     
     
       3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said discharge end includes an upper open channel portion forming a part of said upper outlet means and a lower constricted flow portion forming a part of the lower outlet means. 
     
     
       4. An apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said upper open channel portion includes upwardly extending side walls laterally displaced with respect to each other to form a carrier surface therebetween.   
     
     
       5. An apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein the measured distance between the side walls at the outlet means being at least as great as the smallest measured distance between the walls.   
     
     
       6. An apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said side walls are straight and parallel with respect to each other.   
     
     
       7. An apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said side walls extend upwardly in amounts sufficient to contain the selected particulate material disposed along the carrier surface and unrestrictedly direct said particulate material to the outlet means.   
     
     
       8. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said vessel includes a flow barrier portion extending between the upper outlet means and the lower outlet means, said vessel proportions for discharging material includes an upper open channel portion and a lower constricted flow portion. 
     
     
       9. An assembly for separating selected particulate material from a mixture of liquids and solids, said assembly comprising: (a) means for introducing a chemical reagent into said mixture to prepare said selected particulate material in said liquids for separation from said mixture,   (b) means for containing and admixing the mixture with said chemical reagent under substantially non-oxidizing conditions while said selected particulate material is being prepared for separation,   (c) means for supplying the mixture to said containing means,   (d) means for separating said selected particulate material from said mixture at a first location on said containing means,   (e) means for delivering said mixture depleted of said particulate material from said containing means to a second separating means   (f) means for introducing a further chemical reagent into said depleted mixture for further separation of particulate material at said second separating means   (g) said second separating means including a trough shaped vessel having a mixture introducing end and a discharge end and being disposed to receive said mixture including said further chemical reagent at said mixture introducing end thereof,   (h) said discharge end having separate spaced apart upper outlet means and downwardly sloping lower outlet means spaced from and ahead of the upper outlet means in the direction of flow of liquid therein,   (i) said discharge end having proportions such that they discharge an amount of material from said vessel at a rate sufficient to establish continuous movement of the mixture from said mixture introducing end to said discharge end of said vessel,   (j) said vessel having proportions such that they establish substantially quiescent flow conditions intermediate the introducing end and discharge end during said continuous movement,   (k) said vessel having additional proportions such as to maintain said continuously moving mixture within said vessel for a period of time sufficient to allow a selected particulate material to collect at the upper surface of the mixture,   (l) said upper outlet means having additional proportions such as to provide a discharge flow of liquid material out of said vessel to cause a free flow of said selected particulate material at the upper surface of the liquid in said mixture, and   (m) said lower outlet means having additional proportions such as to provide an impeded discharge flow of effluent material out of said vessel, whereby the combined amounts of material leaving the upper and lower outlet means is substantially equal to the amount entering the introductory end.   
     
     
       10. An assembly as defined in claim 9 wherein a flow barrier portion extends between the upper outlet means and the lower outlet means.   
     
     
       11. An assembly as defined in claim 9 wherein said discharge end includes an upper open channel portion forming a part of said upper outlet means and a lower constricted flow portion forming a part of said lower outlet means. 
     
     
       12. An assembly as defined in claim 11 wherein said upper open channel portion includes upwardly extending side walls laterally displaced with respect to each other to form a carrier surface therebetween.   
     
     
       13. An assembly as defined in claim 12 wherein the measured distance between the side walls at the outlet means being at least as great as the smallest measured distance between the walls.   
     
     
       14. An assembly as defined in claim 12 wherein said side walls are straight and parallel with respect to each other.   
     
     
       15. An assembly as defined in claim 12 wherein said side walls extend upwardly in amounts sufficient to contain the selected particulate material disposed along the carrier surface and unrestrictedly direct said particulate material to the outlet means.   
     
     
       16. An assembly as defined in claim 9 wherein said vessel includes a flow barrier portion extending between the upper outlet means and the lower outlet means, said vessel proportions for discharging material includes an upper open channel portion and a lower constricted flow portion. 
     
     
       17. An assembly as defined in claim 9 wherein said first location on said containing means includes a froth flotation cell or a hydrocyclone.   
     
     
       18. An assembly for separating selected particulate material from a mixture of liquids and solids, said assembly comprising: (a) means for introducing a chemical reagent into said mixture to prepare said selected particulate material in said liquids for separation from said mixture,   (b) a containing means for containing said reagent with said mixture   (c) means for supplying the mixture to said containing means   (c') said supplying means including static mixing means for mixing said chemical reagent with said mixture   (d) a trough shaped vessel having a mixture introducing end and a discharge end   (d') said discharge end having spaced apart upper outlet means and a lower outlet means   (e) means for delivering the reagentized mixture to said introducing end of said trough shaped vessel   (f) said vessel having a structural configuration having proportions such as to provide a continuous substantially quiescent movement of the mixture through said vessel from the introductory end to the discharge end,   (g) said upper outlet means having proportions such as to provide a discharge flow of liquid material out of said vessel to cause a free flow of said selected particulate material at the upper surface of the liquid in said mixture, and   (h) said lower outlet having proportions such as to provide an impeded discharge flow of effluent material out of said vessel, whereby the combined amounts of material leaving the upper and lower outlet means substantially equals the amount entering the introductory end.   
     
     
       19. An assembly as defined in claim 18 wherein a vertical thickener means receives the effluent material from said trough shaped vessel to effect further separation of said selected particulate material.   
     
     
       20. An apparatus for separating selected particulate material from a mixture of liquids and solids, said apparatus comprising: (a) a trough shaped vessel having a mixture introducing end and a discharge end,   (b) said discharge end having spaced apart upper outlet means and downwardly sloping lower outlet means spaced from and ahead of the upper outlet means in the direction of flow of liquid,   (c) said vessel having a structural configuration and proportions such that they provide a continuous substantially quiescent movement of the mixture through said vessel from the introductory end to the outlet end, whereby a selected particulate material may collect at the upper surface of said liquid,   (d) said upper outlet means having proportions such as to provide a discharge flow of liquid material out of said vessel to cause a free flow of said selected particulate material at the upper surface of the liquid in said mixture, and   (e) said lower outlet means having proportions such as to provide an impeded discharge flow of effluent material out of said vessel whereby the combined amounts of material leaving the upper and lower outlet means substantially equals the amount entering the introductory end.